Federal Manager's Daily Report

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While top positions in national security tend to be filled fairly quickly after a presidential transition, the filling of secondary and lower positions is commonly delayed, the Partnership for Public Service has said.

The Partnership, which has made the nomination and confirmation process one of its main areas of focus, said that in the four transitions starting with the incoming George W. Bush administration, at the secretary and director level nominees on average are named after five days and confirmed after an additional 14.

However, at the deputy secretary level the averages are 64 and 46, and at the undersecretary and administrator level 157 and 81. The study called such positions “crucial levels of leadership” and noted that the practice of keeping some officials as temporary holdovers for continuity’s sake has been decreasing, with both the Trump and Biden administration holding just four officials each for at least 100 days.

“Our government is best able to manage national security challenges and keep its people safe when it has a full team of capable and committed career public servants and political appointees—especially in national security leadership roles,” it said.

The report noted that the Partnership previously has recommended steps such as converting Senate-confirmed positions to noncareer SES positions, shifting some positions from requiring Senate confirmation to direct appointment, and “eliminating redundant and consistently vacant appointments.”

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